Monteverde Information

Monteverde HistoryMonteverde history begins in the early 1950's, when a group of Quaker families from the United States entered Costa Rica looking for peace and tranquility. Some members of these families were imprisoned by the US government because they did not participate in the Korean War, so they decided to settle in Costa Rica, not only because there was no army but also because of the natural riches they found.

Long before the arrival of these Quakers, Monteverde area had already been settled by a group of Costa Rican farmers from towns like San Ramon de Alajuela, Esparza and Miramar, this in order to establish their farms and pursue agriculture for their livelihoods.

Monteverde was founded by these US citizens, in order to establish their own reserves for conservation and protection of water and nature. In the early 1970's, much of the land was donated to the Tropical Science Center (CCT), an organization responsible for the research and preservation of Earth.

Climate
Monteverde's climate is humid and cloudy, with temperatures around 15 and 22 degrees Celsius.

Demography
Monteverde has a population of about 1,000 Quakers residents who maintain the North - American sentiment in the area. Besides that, there are about 6500 Costa Rican residents, most of these sold their land to the Quakers and are established in the town of Santa Elena.

History and ideology of the Quaker community
The term derives from the English word for "quaker"
"Quakers" is the most often used name to describe the 215,000 members of the Religious Society of Friends (Religious Society of Friends) that exist around the world.
Their premise is that "God exists in every person," so they have no priests or other forms of religious authority. Nor they celebrate sacraments or consecrate buildings.
For them, God manifests himself to human beings; you only have to quiet down to listen. Hence the silent weekly meetings * remain pillar of Quaker life.

Four pillars of the ideology of the Quakers
Main lines of thought: Equality, Peace, Integrity, Simplicity.

* An hour of silence: The Meeting. (Sundays and Wednesdays, 9 am, School Friends)
The meetings are held on Wednesdays and Sundays in the school of Monteverde, and anyone can attend.